As the ring falls
by A. Potter
Summary: This is my first fanfic, be nice, blah, blah, blah.


Misty stood quietly by the gravestone, dressed completely in black. What  
was there to say? She watched as everyone slowly milled around, talking,  
about him. She sighed. You just never knew, did you? Never knew, never,  
with Ash. Chryssie, her daughter, walked over and put a hand on her arm.  
"Mother," she said quietly. Misty never stirred. She didn't need to. Her  
whole world was dead.  
  
But something made her come out of her hole, buried deep in the  
darkness of death only a death of someone close to you could only bring.  
"What?" She asked her daughter, twiddling the wedding ring she didn't  
dare take off. It was the only thing that kept him alive. Chryssie looked  
the ground. "Mother, you should come join us. We are remembering.  
Come." Ah, yes, remembering. Misty said to herself, but let her daughter  
pull her along. Misty slowly turned her head toward the crowd of people  
she was involuntarily approaching. See? She told herself, They're all people  
you know. Maybe it won't be so bad. There's Seymor, and Ethan, over in the  
wheelchair is Professor Oak, and next to him is Professor Ivy. There's Brock  
and Suzie, along with a bunch of Chryssie's childhood friends. It'll be okay.   
  
But it seemed pointless, to be dragged over there, toward that dumb  
crowd of unknowing people. Tracy wasn't over there. In fact, he wasn't  
there at all, not that she could see. Chryssie pulled her into the group.  
Misty felt strangely departed from her body. After a moment, Ethan  
spoke up.  
  
"Now, I remember that time where my amigo, Ash, took all those  
Magnemite into town when ma' leg was hurt. That town was so beautiful,  
what after Ash came into town and fixed them up. We couldn't have done  
it without him." He looked at Misty. "You oughtta be proud."  
  
Now it was Seymor's turn,  
  
"I couldn't have done it without him. Not with the Zubats. I'm so  
glad you came at that moment, otherwise I wouldn't be here. And with  
helping the Clefairy. They will always be thankful to him. Yes, Misty,  
you should be proud."  
  
Misty's heart lifted a little bit- But not enough, yet, to tell a story of  
her own. Brock opened his mouth to speak, and everyone looked at him.  
  
"I remember when Ash first came to my gym. He didn't know that  
much, but he was sure willing to try. When he came back the second time,  
I remember scoffing, because what I saw was a little boy with his little  
pikachu. I should have remembered that people aren't what they seem. He  
beat me then. I knew he could teach me something, even though I was,  
technically, more expirianced. That's one of the reasons I followed him,  
and ended up here." He turned to get a better view of the Ketchums. "I  
was proud of him, Misty, even when I didn't know him. Most trainers  
would've taken that badge."  
  
A car pulled up in the parking lot. Misty looked over, coldly.  
Who'd be late for a FUNERAL??? As a man got out, she got her answer.  
Tracy. He saw her and ran over. After hugging her fiercely, introduced,  
"Everyone, this is Tracey Sketchit. Tracey, we were just... remembering...  
please join us." Misty felt light headed from trying to keep her voice  
reflecting how she felt. Now, everyone looked at Tracey, expecting a  
story. He thought for a minute, staring at the clouds rolling in  
absentmindedly. Then--  
  
"Well, there was that time with the Lapras, remember, Misty? This  
Lapras had been abused by it's previous trainer. It was hurt but let no one  
touch it, not even Nurse Joy. Finally, after a long 'adventure,' we finally  
got it to take it. Ash never did give up then. I was proud of him."  
  
Misty felt something well up inside of her. The feeling that she  
wanted to let out something. A story. She started speaking raptly, eyes on  
the newly sprouting grass.  
  
"I remember that, Tracey. But I remember something else. When I  
first met Ash. I had my shiny new bike parked near me one day by a  
stream when I heard some spearow off in the distance. I didn't think  
much of it then. Anyway, I was fishing normally when something  
REALLY HEAVY started dragging on my fishing rod. So I hauled it up.  
And, guess what? It was a boy, about my age. With a pikachu, who was  
looking pretty hurt. He ran over to my bike and grabbed it, saying he  
would return it later. He never did. Not physically, anyway, he did repay,  
in the end..." She blushed. Everyone started breaking up then, since it was  
starting to rain. Suzie came over and gave Misty a quick hug before  
running back over to Brock, who waved, and they both got into the car.  
Nurse Joy was just saying goodbye to her friends and walked over to the  
pokemon center's van and got inside, waiting to take Misty home. Misty  
didn't even realize Tracey was still there until he put a friendly arm  
around her shoulders. "Well, Misty," he said, "I guess we better be getting  
home." Misty looked up into his face. He has gotten very handsome from  
since I first met him, she thought. He smiled at her and, for the first time  
since Ash's death, she smiled back. With that they began walking back to  
the parking lot in the rain. As they walked, the ring slipped off her finger  
and lay on the ground behind them, shining like a new promise.  
  
  
** Remember, this is my first fic, so please give constructive critism.  
Please review!!!  
  
** All of these charectars belong to Wizards Of The Coast, except for  
Chryssie and her friends (which don't say anything.)  
  
**I hope you enjoyed reading it!! 


End file.
